Throughout The Years
by ErurainaElleth
Summary: This is just a compilation of some might-have-beens, that Jo and Laurie met at a younger age instead at a party when they were fifteen. Hope you enjoy them! :)
1. Chapter 1

9-year-old Jo was flying her new kite, looking up occasionally to see her progress. She ran to her favorite place – a green hill surrounded by a sea of trees. Distant shouts from her older sister and mother calling for her reached her ears, but Jo being Jo, she ignored the cries. She took in a deep breath, exhausted from her little exploit, and sat down on the top of the hill to rest. She then heard leaves moving unnaturally behind her, and spun around, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Who goes there?" She shouted, practically to no one but the trees.

There was a long silence.

"Hmph. Good." She huffed, sitting down. Then she heard the rustle of leaves again.

"Now who goes there?" She exclaimed, infuriated with her mysterious intruder. "This is my secret place, so go away!"

Then a tall boy around her age emerged from the shadow of the trees.

"I discovered it before you did." The boy proclaimed.

Jo, puzzled at the newcomer, ignored his last statement and said: "Who are you?"

"I won't tell unless you tell yours," he said.

"Fine. I'm Jo, Jo March. How do you do?" She walked to him and held out her hand. This made the boy gawk at her. "I'm afraid we started off at the wrong foot. Now tell me, what is your name?"

"Laurie."

"Your full name, if you don't mind?"

The boy rolled his eyes but said: "Theodore Laurence, but don't call me that – I hate it. Call me Laurie instead, or Teddy, whichever you prefer."

"Okay, Teddy. Want to be friends? Marmee always tells me that it's never wrong to make friends." Her hand was still held out, awaiting the boy's hand.

"So does my grandfather say. Yes, I would like to become your friend, Jo March." Then he took her small hand and shook it.

"Say, have you ever flown a kite? I got this for my birthday present." Jo said.

"Is it your birthday today?" Laurie asked, excitement in his voice.

"Why, yes. That's why I'm out here flying my new kite."

"Well, then, happy birthday! How old are you now?"

"I'm nine years old."

"The same as me! I had my birthday last month."

"Well, happy belated birthday, Laurie." She greeted him. "Do you want to fly my kite?"

"Yes, please." Then he took it and ran around the hill, which Jo was perched atop, staring at the kite in the sky and her newfound friend. Thus a beautiful friendship was formed.


	2. Chapter 2

**I obviously do not own Little Women and its characters, for it is already owned by Louisa May Alcott, who tragically disapproved of the ship of Jo and Laurie. *sniffs* Anyways, I hope you like it!**

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Twelve-year-old Laurie lay down on the grass of his lawn, absentmindedly picking up a nearby flower, twirling it. He then tossed it back into the air and it landed on the grass. He sighed. He wondered what to do. He then caught a glimpse of his neighbor through a window of her house running down the stairs. He grinned automatically at the sight of Jo. He went to his house, and told his grandfather that he was heading for the March's house.

He opened the gate of the house and entered, then knocked on the door.

"Wait a minute!" A voice called out.

He heard quick and loud footsteps, growing louder as it neared the door. Then the door flung open.

"Oh, hello Teddy! How are you? Why are you here?" Before he opened his mouth to speak, she answered her own question herself. "Oh, wait. Let me guess. You're bored. Well, come on in. I'm sure Marmee won't mind you staying here for a while."

Laurie stepped into the house, scents of hot bread, dough, soup and other food that would be found in the March household entered his nose. He followed Jo, who sat down on an easy chair, and he on a couch.

"Would you like to play Pilgrim's Progress?" Jo asked her friend.

"What's that?" Laurie inquired.

"It's a game that my sisters and I've made when we were little." Jo answered.

"Well, then, how do you play it?"

"It's— hmm," She paused a while to think. "It's quite hard to explain. It's sort of like a game where you take on roles, and there is this situation, in which is a problem or conflict that you have to solve."

"Okay, then. What will be our situation then?"

Jo's eyes shone with excitement. "I have an idea! I'll be a pirate, and you are my accomplice, and we set out for a journey, a quest for some sort of treasure!"

"So do we dress the part?" Laurie asked.

"Well, if you want to. It's really up to you." Jo said. They them agreed that it was best to leave their clothes be as the process would be tedious.

"Why not we make it a play instead? I'll write it down, so it might become famous one day!" Jo exclaimed, running off to find a piece of paper and a pen to record their

'adventures'.

Laurie sat on the couch, waiting for Jo, who came back running.

"Okay, I'm ready." She declared. "So in an island full of dull, ordinary people lived 2 pirates. They wanted to explore and sail in the seven seas, go on an adventure and find a treasure at the journey's end. That's the summary, I suppose. Let's add in the details!"

Laurie looked up and pondered for a while, a thoughtful look on his face. "The pirates would have to work for their grand ship. They'd be roguish, daring and brave."

"Yes, they'd have to work for their ship…" Jo mused, writing on the piece of paper on a table. "They could have secret identities! They'd work in a bakery, perhaps, and earn a fair amount of money until they could buy ships and canons and weapons of all sorts! Then will their identities as men of the sea be revealed!"

"Slow down, Jo! Remember those details or we'd have nothing to act out." Laurie laughed.

"Fine, I will." Jo said, a look of defeat on her face, which then was replaced with a smile. "Do you want to take a break first? You know, before getting into serious business."

"Yes, for I am terribly tired and hungry." said Laurie.

Jo, wanting to fix her poor friend's stomach dilemma, rose from her seat on the floor and asked Hannah to fix him something to eat. She came back with a plate of cookies, offering them to Laurie, and lay down on the same couch Laurie was sitting in.

"Now don't fret, Teddy! I've asked Hannah to cook up something for you to eat. I don't want you to starve." She said with slight pity in her voice.

Laurie looked at her with gratitude and maybe even affection, greatly moved by the fact that she cared a great deal for him, even if it was just his appetite.

After a short silence, Laurie said, "Jo, what do you want to do in your future? If you're wondering why I'm asking, I'm just curious."

Jo considered his words and thought about them, a look of deep thought on her face (which Laurie secretly thought pleasing to look at), and said, "Well, I want to become a famous author one day, and I wish for you to have your own music store right beside my workshop. We'd have lots of great adventures then." She said with a dreamy look on her face.

"Mine is similar to yours too," Laurie said, a big grin on his face.

Then he got up from his seat and said in a mock formal tone, "Well, I had a lovely time here. Thank you, Miss March, for your company." Then to Jo's surprise, he took her slender white hand in his big brown one and kissed it.

Jo turned red, confused at his sudden act of intimacy, and so wanted to change the subject and said, "But what about our play?"

"We could continue it in the future." Laurie said. He then held out his arm for her and Jo, forgetting his past action, took it and they both merrily skipped to Laurie's house.

"Farewell, Teddy!" Jo shouted as she walked back to her house, a new tingly sensation felt by both children.

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**Hope you enjoyed it! I have an idea of making the next chapter about one of them being sick, but I'm not sure who. Please give me a review and possibly a suggestion on which of the two lovers you want to be the victim of the sickness. Hehe. Thanks for reading! :)**


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